Veitch: Fortune Pearl to continue progression

Eric Jenks — The Saratogian: Stopchargingmaria, seen here with Javier Castellano up while winning the Coaching Club Amedrican Oaks on July 20 at Saratoga Race Course, is the favorite today for the Grade I Alabama Stakes. Stopchargingmaria is listed at 2-1 odds in the morning line.

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> As far as trainer Graham Motion is concerned, his filly Fortune Pearl is headed in the right direction.

The daughter of Horse of the Year Mineshaft is entered in Saturday’s historic Alabama Stakes, which was first run in 1872, and has been a race of champions ever since.

The Grade 1 event, worth $600,000 at 1¼ miles on the main track, drew a field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

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Fortune Pearl is a filly who was not precocious as a youngster, but is one that has shown continued improvement during her career, which opened on Dec. 26 at Tampa Bay Downs with a victory in a maiden claiming event on turf.

“We were not sure what we had at the time,” said Motion. “She wasn’t terribly impressive in her training, so no one was more surprised than me when she won first out. I will say that she has gotten more competitive each time she runs. So we had to make a decision at some point and try the dirt. That turned out to be a good effort.”

Motion was referring to a solid second in a seven-furlong event at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 13 in her third career start.

After a troubled fifth at 1 1/16 miles on turf a month later in Florida, Fortune Pearl headed home to Maryland, where Motion has a stable at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton.

He entered her in a dirt race at the same distance on May 2 at Pimlico, and she responded with a driving score by 2 ¼ lengths that caught her trainer’s attention.

“She was so impressive at Pimlico, that even though it was only two weeks to the Black Eyed Susan, we decided to wheel her back there and I was very encouraged that she ran well against those kinds of fillies,” he said.

In the Grade 3 Black Eyed Susan on May 16, she rallied to be third to Stopchargingmaria at 1 1/8 miles, giving the impression she had more to give.

“So we then decided to point for the Delaware Oaks, and it was a very good performance,” said Motion. “She has been doing well since. I was happy to be able to train her at Delaware for the Oaks, and now have the same thing for the Alabama at Saratoga. This is another step up, but we’re encouraged.”

Fortune Pearl won the Delaware Oaks, on July 5, by two lengths with her customary late run, prompting Motion to take aim at the Alabama.

There has always been a strong historical relationship between the Delaware Oaks, begun in 1938, and the Alabama,

In recent years, Island Fashion (2003), Proud Spell (2008), Careless Jewel (2009) and Blind Luck (2010) have won both races.

Trevor McCarthy rides in the Alabama for owner RMJ Stables, which is special for Motion.

McCarthy was aboard Fortune Pearl in the Delaware Oaks.

In 2000, Motion won the Delaware Oaks with Sincerely, ridden by Trevor’s father Michael McCarthy.

The aforementioned Stopchargingmaria is the likely Alabama favorite off her victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks here on July 20.

That was her second consecutive graded stakes score, following her win in the Black Eyed Susan.

Overall, Stopchargingmaria has won five of nine starts and tops this field by a wide margin in earnings at $1,054,000.

She broke her maiden at first asking last summer at the Spa.

Stopchargingmaria is trained by Todd Pletcher, as is Got Lucky, and she is also a winner at Saratoga.

The daughter of A.P. Indy figures to like the Alabama’s distance, and on July 23 she won an allowance at 1 1/8 miles.

Second in the Coaching Club was Unbridled Forever, who has kept top company all year in races like the Fair Grounds Oaks, Kentucky Oaks, and Acorn Stakes.

In each case she has hit the board, and has trained sharply for this engagement.

Although she did not get to the races until March, and has only four career starts, Size deserves a long look in the Alabama.

She comes off a victory in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks and has won three races.

Joint Return, second in the Delaware Oaks, looks like a stretch threat in the Alabama.

She rallied from last to be second to Fortune Pearl, and won the Calder Oaks in that fashion earlier this season.

Completing the Alabama field are Miss Besilu, America, and Catch My Drift.